On Moonlit Night
by Brennegade
Summary: Leetah, daughter of the Moon, was known as Kei'al'i in her human life. As a spirit, Leetah searches for her true purpose, her center. Pesky, annoying, yet charming Guardian of Fun Jack Frost thinks he can help. Leetah and Jack's story doesn't start at their first encounter, though. Rated T for paranoid author.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey, guys! This is my first fanfic ever, and I'm honestly really nervous about publishing this, but what's life without a couple of chances taken, right? Anyway, enjoy!**

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><p>"<em>My daughter, I have given you the gift of a human life. Use it to learn the compassion that you will so desperately need to fulfill your destiny<em>."

Too bad I was too young to remember the last words my father spoke to me.

I was born into this world, as any child is. My parents were kind and loving, and... I looked nothing like them. Nor anyone in my village, really. While everyone else had dark hair and brown eyes, I had bright, white-blonde hair and eyes so grey that if the light caught them just right, they appeared to be silver. As if the fact that I looked as if I didn't belong wasn't enough, my parents decided that it was a good idea to name me Kei'al'i. My mother claimed that she heard it in a dream and knew that it was meant to be my name. Frankly, I just thought of it as letter vomit. While everyone else's names were simple and common, such as Lucia or Jefferson, I was stuck with letter vomit.

It was because of these things that I never really had any friends growing up. Six-year-old me would rather have stayed inside, reading and learning, than gone out in the cold to have "fun." At ten, the only reason I left the house was to go to school or do my daily chores. Then, I would go back inside and read.

The only time I felt a pull to the world outside the walls of my home was on my fourteenth birthday. I had looked out my window at the familiar view of the great mountain that was located not far from the village. The full moon was shining brighter than I'd ever seen it and I felt this strange urge to get closer, as if I had a string connecting me to the moon. Before I even knew what it was I was doing, I opened my window and, pulling up my long dress, climbed out. Five minutes later, I had sprinted the half mile separating my house from the mountain. Without slowing down and without a second thought, I started climbing. I stayed on the paths and even ground as much as I could, but as I reached the middle of the great mountain, I had to climb up a straight vertical wall of rock. By this time, my feet were cut and bleeding and my face was drenched in sweat. Nevertheless, my hands grasped any protrusion they could get a hold of and pulled my tired body upwards.

Until then, I had never felt true agony. As soon as my bruised and bloodied feet touched the first foothold, I let out a scream of pain. It felt as if I had decided to run barefoot across the Devil's playground and then proceeded to stand on hundreds of knives while lemon juice was being poured on the open wounds. The pain was so intense that I felt myself nearly black out. Somehow, I found myself at the top of the wall. As I was sprawled on my back, panting, I fought the urge to inspect the wounds on my feet. Seeing them would only make it worse.

I was so tired. Five minute's rest couldn't hurt, I reasoned. Just as my eyelids slid closed, I felt a strong tug on that invisible string that connected me to the moon. Grumbling to myself in an unintelligible language, I stood up. I had put my left hand on the hard, pebble-covered surface of the ground and immediately let out a hiss of pain. Once I stood up, I inspected my hand, the moon seeming as if it was shining brighter in order to provide me with a greater amount of light. Through the blood running off my palm and down my wrist, I could see a large gash running vertically through the center of my palm. Two small holes were also stabbed close to my fingers, where I assumed I had hit them on some sharp rocks while climbing. I wiped the blood off of me and onto my light brown sleeping dress, the rough fabric of the woolen garment hurting my wound even more.

With my good hand, I wiped the salty tears out of my eyes before they could reach my pale cheeks. No matter what, I refused to cry. I had to be strong, even with no one but the moon and stars to see me. Sniffling like an idiot, I walked in the direction of the moon. It was almost as if I was in a trance, not looking away from the shining white light of the full moon, my bloody feet knowing exactly where to take me. After walking on my screaming feet for what seemed like hours, I found myself in a large meadow. I kept walking through it, the grass getting stuck to my aching feet and the long weeds reaching out to slice the overly soft and sensitive skin of my arms.

Finally, I reached the edge of the meadow, where the delicate wildflowers seemed as if they had been throwing themselves off the side, reaching far out over the cliff below them. I dared not look down, for the moon was a much more welcoming sight than the ground, hundreds of feet below. I plopped down on my knees, sitting on my feet, effectively getting blood on the back of my nightdress. As soon as that thought popped into my head, it went flying out, the light and calmness of the moon filling my head, and I sat like that until the sun had begun to creep up near the horizon. I panicked, not wanting my new friend to leave me.

"Wait!" I cried, "Don't leave me! I'm not ready!" Suddenly, a voice spoke in my head.

"_Do not be afraid, my child. I will always be watching over you. Until we meet again_," the voice slowly started to fade until the sun rose, leaving me alone on this ledge in the middle of a mountain with no idea how to get back down.

Then, a hand grabbed my shoulder, turning me around to face the large silhouette behind me. I screamed but as the light fell across the man's face, my scream died, being replaced with confusion.

"Mr. Bennett?" I asked, astonished. "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you, Kei." Mr. Bennett was the local farmer who, in his spare time, helped enforce the law and protect the townspeople. The fact that he was here, in the middle of a meadow halfway up the mountain looking for me, planted a seed of fear in the pit of my stomach.

"Why, Mr. Bennett? I was just on my way home," I replied, hoping to get out of this situation as quickly as possible. Mother and Father would not be happy if they found out that I had snuck out and climbed a mountain, of all things, in the middle of the night.

"There was an accident late last night in this area. A boy fell into a frozen lake and died. When your parents awoke to you being nowhere to be found, they panicked. Naturally, we sent out a search party to find you and make sure that you didn't fall in a lake or slip off of a cliff. Who knows what could have happened to you?" I stopped listening after the second sentence. A boy had fallen into a lake and died? It was November, the cold air that always came off of the mountain should have frozen any lake to the point that it was thick enough to walk, even skate on. In fact, I had been planning on going skating on a nearby lake just yesterday. I couldn't stop wondering what would have happened to me if I had gone skating, would the ice have broken, would I have fallen in and drowned, dying a cold, panicked death? I found myself thinking one thing over and over. _Who was this boy?_

"The boy who died, what was his name?"

"Jackson Overland."

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><p><strong>Please read and review! I want to continue with this, but I also want people to read it and enjoy it. Dost thou understand my dilemma?<br>Anyway, thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**I still can't believe that someone actually wanted more of my story! All of my love goes out to you, thank you so much!**

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><p>Jackson Overland's funeral was three days after the accident. I had begged Mother to let me go, although I don't understand why. I guess I felt a sense of responsibility to go, since his death was the entire reason that I got back home from the top of the great mountain. I also wanted to go because there was talk spreading throughout the entire village that he had saved his little sister, sacrificing his life for hers. Anyone who is that selfless deserves to be honored and respected by all.<p>

As I stared at myself in the mirror, I felt like I was looking at a stranger. My short, uncontrollably curly hair had been wrapped up into a tight bun, requiring such a vast number of pins that the metal stuck painfully into my head. In order to cover up my attention-grabbing hair, I had taken one of Grandmother's black hats from the old trunk at the foot of my parents' bed. The hat was old-fashioned, designed to keep the sun out of the wearer's eyes while still allowing them to look like a proper lady. It had a long black veil running down the back, which I had wrapped around my shoulders as a sort of lace shawl. Tying the black silk ribbon below my strong jawline, I observed my dress. It was long, simple, and black. I remembered my mother wearing it to my grandfather's funeral, nearly six years ago. The woven fabric made me feel as if I would catch it on thin air and snag the delicate garment. The long sleeves hung lower on my wrists than they were meant to, since my stature was so much smaller than my mother's. The ends of the sleeves came to a point, with an inch-thick lace trim around it. The bottom of the dress had been tucked underneath itself and pinned so that I didn't trip on the excess six inches that would have dragged on the ground. Bending over to tie the laces of my thick black boots, I mentally prepared myself to attend the second funeral in my lifetime.

Closing my door behind me, I felt a cold wind threaten to send me toppling down the street. Wrapping my makeshift shawl around myself even tighter, I braved the cold and made the short walk to the church. Before I could go inside, though, I heard soft sobs coming from the side of the large stone building. I knew I should have gone inside, but my curiosity won over my common sense, as it often did. Peeking around the corner, I saw a small form with a mess of straight dark hair in a black dress. I could only assume that this person knew Jackson Overland and didn't want their grief to be seen by anyone else. I felt a sharp pang in my heart for this child, of whom could not be older than ten. Although I knew that they would rather be left alone, I decided to at least attempt to comfort the child.

Walking over, I placed a nervous hand on the little girl's shoulder. Surprised, she whirled around to face me with big, watery brown eyes. Something flashed in her eyes before she turned back around. I heard the bell ring, signaling the beginning of the funeral. The girl began crying even harder, her shoulders shaking violently. For some reason, I felt as though I needed to comfort her, as if it was my duty.

"I'm sorry about Jackson," I started nervously. "How did you know him?"

"I'm-" the girl sniffled, "I'm his sister." I gasped, feeling as if I hadn't been sincere enough when asking about him. I couldn't keep the sad look out of my eyes, but once the girl saw it, she seemed to get angry.

"Don't tell me that you're sorry because you're not, and don't say that you know how I feel because you don't. And don't tell me it's not my fault, because it is!" She yelled, breaking down even more.

"How is it your fault-"

"Emma."

"Emma," I repeated. "How do you think it's your fault?"

"I was the one that was stupid enough not to get off the ice! I went skating to the middle of the lake when Jack told me not to! I thought he was just playing a trick like he always does! Did!" Emma wiped at her eyes angrily. "And even once the ice started breaking, I still thought he was playing a trick on me, he just wanted me to play hopscotch like we always did. Then, he grabbed a stick and he, he-" she broke down, sobbing uncontrollably. I couldn't stop myself from grabbing her small, shaking form and enveloping her in a tight hug.

"Emma, Emma," I said, trying to calm her, "none of that was your fault. You didn't know that the lake wasn't frozen over all the way. He protected you like any good brother would do." I started smoothing her hair as she buried her face into my shoulder. I couldn't help but think, in that moment, how many times my mother had held me like I was holding Emma right now, calming me after I did something bad or I woke up screaming from a nightmare in which I lost Grandfather all over again. I held Emma closer to me, willing her to let it all out. "Maybe he played tricks on you because that was his way of showing love? Maybe he wanted you to play hopscotch so that you wouldn't be so scared? Perhaps he sacrificed himself for you because he loved you so much that he didn't know what he'd do without you?" Emma gasped, as if this were the first time she had heard any of these things.

"Do you really think so?" Her big brown eyes gazed up at me as if all of her hope was riding on the next word I said.

"Yes."

Minutes later, Emma and I had snuck into the church in the middle of the ceremony. She went running up to the front row to sit with her grieving parents while I, feeling out of place, sat in the back pew. Interestingly, with the obvious absence of a body, the family had used the next best thing, Jackson's skates. The ones he was wearing when he and Emma went skating. They were sitting on a stool with a simple baby's blanket used as a sort of tablecloth. I couldn't help but guess that it was Jack's as well. I mouthed the words of the final blessing along with the Reverend, remembering them perfectly from Grandfather's funeral.

"May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord look upon you in favor and grant you peace."

I felt a tear slip from my eye. I would forever strive to be as caring, as brave, and as selfless as this boy. At eighteen years old, he wasn't yet a man but in his final moments he was braver than any warrior ever was, or ever would be. I closed my eyes.

"Amen."

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><p><strong>Read and review, if you want! I'll try to type up some chapters so that I won't have to come up with them on the fly, like this one. (I apologize if it's not as good as the first chapter, I wrote this in about two hours...) Hopefully I'll have a new chapter up sometime tomorrow or Monday, but I make no promises.<br>Thanks so much for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey, guys! Here's chapter 3, as promised! This chapter shows how Kei'al'i and Emma's stories intertwine a bit more and someone finally shows up!  
>Just because I'm paranoid, I'm going to caution that this chapter touches on depression. It doesn't go into much detail, but it's still there.<strong>

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><p>Three years had passed since the death of Jackson Overland. No one would go near what we now called Winter Lake, out of respect for the Overland family. Every once in a while, though, a wanderer would find themselves in the small clearing and come running back to the village claiming that the lake was still frozen over, even in the hottest days of summer. Everyone would dismiss the claims as mere speculation, as no one wanted to go to the place of the terrible tragedy.<p>

Emma had grown up in the three years since her brother's passing, relying less on her parents every day. The change was easily seen in her eyes, where once there was a carefree, grief-stricken girl whose world came crashing down in a matter of seconds, there was now a young woman who had been through more in her thirteen years than most people go through in their entire life.

After Jackson's death, Emma and I had become very close. I became her confidant, her shoulder to cry on, her best friend. She quickly became the little sister I always wished I had. She and I would sneak out of our homes on nights when the moon was bright and meet at the base of the mountain. We would talk for hours about our feelings, hopes, and fears. Emma would still cry on occasion for her brother, and I would join her, both of us silently mourning the boy that effected the entire village. I always thought, on those nights, that I had no right to cry for Jackson, a boy that I had never seen, much less known. But I couldn't shake the feeling that I did in fact know him. The tales Emma told seemed to make him much more real to me than a faceless boy and a pair of skates. In my mind, the lovable prankster was very much alive, however no less faceless. I always thought fondly of the story Emma had shared in which Jackson had stolen a pair of antlers from the mantle and ran around holding them to his head as if they were his own. Later that day, as the story went, Jackson had been hanging by a tree, teasing Emma after his latest prank had worked its magic and had fallen, spraining his ankle after an angry Emma had thrown a snowball at his face. That story alone made me wish that I had known the prank-loving clown that was Emma Overland's older brother.

Emma and I spoke often and had continued to grow closer. That was until a few months ago. With the third anniversary of Jack's death just two months away, Emma had started complaining about night terrors. She never told me what they were about but she did mention that she would often awake screaming in the early hours of the morning. Even the moon, which had been such a great comfort for both of us the past two years, had no ability to chase her nightmares away. Two weeks after her first nightmare, Emma had stopped coming to our special spot, claiming that it just wasn't the same if the moon couldn't comfort her. The week after that, she had stopped talking to me altogether. When I passed her in the street, instead of running up and hugging me as she once had, she stared straight ahead, obviously ignoring my very existence. While at first it felt as though my heart had been torn out and crushed, I had quickly grown used to the absence of her, and depression had taken a hold of my heart.

Having no reason to go outside anymore, I had once again began staying home, my bed providing the comfort that even Mother's words could not. I had long since ceased crying into my pillow at night and began staring numbly at the moon, wondering what I did wrong. It wasn't even completely about Emma, as my family thought. After nearly two weeks of being inconsolable, my parents stopped trying to comfort me, stopped trying to pry me out of bed, stopped caring. I felt like I was as alone as I had always been and that this depression was all my life would ever be. And, even worse than the betrayal of everyone I cared about leaving me, I had accepted that all I would ever be was alone.

The night of the anniversary of the accident, I somehow found the strength to pull myself out of bed, put on some respectable clothes, and venture into the outside world. The air that night was sharp and cold, it felt as if hundreds of miniscule razors were being dragged across my exposed skin. The pain was not the worst I had ever felt, and the bitter cold felt nice against my face. I stuffed my numbing fingers into the deep pockets of my father's old coat and continued walking. Glancing up, I noticed the moon was once again full and bright, reminding me again of my adventure three years ago. I almost wished I hadn't gone out that night, that I had just went to bed and not had to deal with any of this. If I hadn't attended Jackson's funeral, I would never have been friends with Emma, and would never have gotten hurt as I did. I stopped my meandering and stared up at the moon, begging again for its comfort that it had always seemed so eager to give me. Taking my hands out of my pockets, I brought them together, absentmindedly dragging my thumb along the smooth, raised edge of the scar that dominated my left palm. I closed my eyes. The cold, the moon, it was all so familiar, I wondered why I had ever locked myself away from it all.

My thoughts were abruptly interrupted as I felt a particularly cold blast of wind hit my face, weaving its way through my thick woolen coat and seemingly straight into my bones. I shivered and opened my eyes. I was in the Square, along with a handful of children, whose mothers left them to play while they picked up the things they needed. The children were not what drew my attention, but rather the person speaking to them.

"Oh! Excuse me, could you tell me where I am?" He said kindly, kneeling down in order to be at eye level of the boy he was speaking to. He appeared to be eighteen, though his hair was the color of someone much older, blending in with the snow on the ground. His blue eyes were so bright that they could be seen even from my vantage point. His cloak was a simple brown with stitches and patches sprinkling the outside. While taking in the sight of the mystery boy, my brain didn't bother wondering about the frost that laced the upper layer of the cloak. The boy's bright shirt stood out as well, although it was clearly more worn than it seemed. The thin fabric allowed the observer to see straight through to the boy's pale chest. His pants were strange, stopping four or five inches below his knees, the ends being held closer to his skin by what looked like twine tied around his calves. The boy's feet-were bare! He must be freezing out here in this cold! I began walking over at the same time the small boy started chasing his dog.

The child ran _straight through_ the white-haired stranger! The strange boy stood up, and more people continued to walk through him, almost as if he were a ghost. I gasped and my hands flew to my mouth in an attempt to muffle the sound. Too late. The boy's shockingly blue eyes flew up to meet my equally uncommon grey ones. Before any coherent thought could form in my head, I turned and ran. I sprinted through alleyways and around corners, hoping to lose the pursuing spirit. By the time my energy had run out and my legs felt as if they had turned to worms, I was in the forest not far from the village. I bent over, resting my hands on my knees, and waited for my breathing to return to normal. The cool air was a welcome friend to my hot face and empty lungs. When I finally stood upright, I had to stifle a scream. Standing before me was the white-haired boy, whom people could walk through as if he truly were a ghost.

"Please, can you see me?" He asked, his fear as evident as mine.

"Yes," I felt no need to lie to him. "Who are you? Why-how could people walk through you?" Just because I didn't want to lie to him doesn't mean I didn't want answers of my own.

"My-My name is Jack Frost. That's all I know. That's all that the Moon told me!" Jack became very exasperated. "He didn't tell me why people can walk through me, or that I even could be walked through! He didn't tell me that no one could see me or that the only one who could would run away! I'm as lost and confused as you are!"

Damn my soft spot. "I didn't mean to run away," I said, trying to comfort him. "I was just afraid. I've never seen someone like you. You're different-like me." This seemed to both calm Jack down and cheer him up.

"Want to have a snowball fight?" He asked, a warm smile creeping across his face. Before I could respond, a snowball hit me square in the face and when I looked, Jack's smile was replaced by a sly smirk.

"You don't know what you just began."

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><p><strong>Please, please, please read and review! I want to know how you guys feel about how the story's going so far, is it too fast, too slow? I don't know!<strong>

**Just as a side note *let me get up on my soap box, here* depression is a very real thing. I suffer from it, many of my friends suffer from it, it just altogether sucks. If you know someone who is suffering from depression, please, please, PLEASE let them know that you care about them. That they are not alone and do not have to go through life by themselves. Someone does care about them. If they need it, give them a shoulder to cry on, give them someone who will listen. You don't even have to say anything back, just listen! You have no idea how much of an impact it makes on someone's life. *steps off soap box***

**Until next time. I love you guys so, so much and I'll update soon!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys! Sorry for taking so long to upload. My brother and I got in a pretty bad accident and you wouldn't believe how hard it is to type with all those IV needles and everything poking in your arms! Anyway, now that I'm better, hopefully I can get more chapters out faster. Enjoy!**

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><p>The snowball fight ended with a single snowball to the face. Somehow, by some miracle, the face had not been mine.<p>

It was Jack's.

I had wadded up a large patch of wet snow, cleverly avoiding the freshly fallen fluff that would burst into a puff of white as soon as it left my hand. Once I had a decent sized ball of wet snow, I started pressing it together, trying to force my frozen fingers into shaping a sphere. I sniffed and wiped my nose on the sleeve of my dark blue dress. It wasn't only my fingers that were cold, I realized, but my whole body. My face was numb and my nose ran as if it were a small river. My cheeks were raw and aching from the bitter wind, but I didn't mind. My hands, once slender and delicate, were puffy and swollen, tinted a purplish red color. I had long since lost all feeling in my legs, my stockings only providing so much protection before the snow caused them to become wet and cold. My toes were most likely frostbitten, but I didn't care. I was having the most fun I'd had in my entire life!

After I'd shaped the snow into a ball the size of my fist, I wiped my nose one last time before rising out of my safe position behind a fallen tree. I quickly scanned the clearing for any sign of Jack. At first, I didn't see him, but I soon spotted his dark brown cloak. Honestly, if it hadn't been for the cloak, I wouldn't have seen him at all. His white hair and unnaturally pale skin blended in with the snow, creating the perfect camouflage.

With my sights set on the dark brown fabric, I envisioned a large dot painted right in the middle. I took a deep breath in an attempt to steady my shivering form, and sent the small projectile flying. I watched my snowball fly with a small sense of pride. It had not only stayed in one piece when I threw it, but it also shot as straight and true as an arrow. A mere seconds later, though, all that pride vanished as my stomach dropped in fear.

Jack had turned around right as my snowball was inches from connecting with the back of his head. It seemed that maybe my aim was a little off, seeing as I intended for it to hit him in the back, a good ten inches below where the snowball connected with his face. I barely even saw where my precious snowball had landed, I had turned and ran as soon as it trajectory had been made clear. Behind me, I heard a grunt as my snowball connected with Jack's face, followed shortly by a thud, as if he was knocked over by the force of the flying chunk of snow. My heart beat in my ears as I forced my frozen feet to carry me faster. I wouldn't have stopped running if it hadn't been for a certain spirit boy. One second I'm running for my own safety, the fear of God stirring in my soul, the next, I'm being crushed by none other than Jack Frost.

"Jack!" I groaned as I pushed him off of me. For being as small as a twig, the boy was surprisingly heavy.

"What? What did I do?" Jack asked, sitting up. A small giggle escaped my lips as I saw Jack's current state. His thick brown cloak was flipped inside-out over his head and the spirit boy himself was looking around, feigning confusion. I laughed harder. "Wait, where am I? Why can't I see anything?" I started laughing uncontrollably, and when I tried to take a breath, it came out as a little squeak. I quickly slapped my hand over my mouth, as if it would keep the sound from being heard by Jack. This only made us both laugh even harder.

After our laughter finally died down, my body seemed to remember that it was cold. I started shivering, wishing I had a jacket. Wait, Father's jacket! I left it in the clearing when I ran off! "Sorry, Jack," I said, attempting to stand on my frozen legs, "I have to go back. I left my father's jacket back in the clearing. He'll be angry if I lose it."

"Wait!" Jack grabbed my hand, his hand nearly engulfing my tiny one. "I'll get it. I can fly there and back faster than you can walk. I'll be back, quick as the wind!" With that, he was off. I tried to blink the amazement out of my eyes. Why was I amazed? He was a spirit, people could walk through him, so why wouldn't he be able to fly? I shivered again, hoping Jack would come back before I froze to death.

"Oh, why look! A fair maiden out all on her own!" I stiffened. I didn't recognize the voice, but that wasn't what frightened me. It sounded as if six men were all talking at once, and were all being muffled by something, though their volume was seemingly unaffected. "What better way to get my new little disease into town? Everyone always loves the maiden."

I turned around, and my heart almost stopped. Fear welled and festered in my stomach, clenching its hand around my heart. The man was easily two heads taller than me, his tall, sickly body being covered in a thick healer's jacket that skimmed the ground around his dark black boots. His face was covered by a mask. The nose was six inches long, and pointed like a bird's, and there were spectacles over the place where the eyes would be, if there were any on the person occupying the suit. All I could see in the eye holes was black. If any human being were in there, eyes or even a bit of their face would be easily visible. With my new knowledge of the existence of spirits, I had no doubt that this thing was one.

But the way he spoke, getting his new disease into town? My eyes widened as my mind connected the dots. I'd seen this man's outfit before. It was exactly like the ones the Plague Doctors wore back when the Black Plague had struck the world. I'd never seen one in person, the Plague was gone long before I was brought into this world, but I'd been shown pictures at school. Those mask-wearing doctors were the things that dominated every child's nightmare, not only with their appearance but also with what they meant. If Plague Doctors were around, then the Black Death was not over. This Plague Doctor, however, didn't seem as if he wanted to cure anyone of anything, but instead create something new to destroy half of the world as it did years ago.

"What are you?" I asked, my eyes narrowing and my stance becoming defensive.

"Oh, my dear, you are a believer! How... exciting. It's been a while since I've made a good deal." I could hear the smile in his voices, ringing throughout the forest and, seemingly, inside my head.

"I won't ask you again. What are you?"

"How rude of me. I am known as Pestilence, my dear, and I would like to interest you in a deal."

"What kind of deal?" Was I seriously considering this?

"You see, I am not only the spirit of famine, but also the Law-Giver. I weigh each mortal's heart and smite the unworthy ones. My deal," he pauses to laugh darkly, "is that you can save your entire pathetic village from my disease with just a shake of the hand." He offers his gloved hand to me. I hesitate. I have to think this through before I run around making deals with malevolent spirits.

"What's the catch?" Where is Jack? I can't stall for much longer and I certainly can't fight him off by myself. If Jack doesn't come soon I'd have no other choice but to take this demon's deal.

"The catch? Your heart has to stay pure. If you wish this on anyone else, you live and my new plague runs its way through your little hut-cluster of a village. If you wish this away, the same thing happens. Either way, if your heart does not remain pure and your reasons selfless, your heart is mine."

This is it. I had no time left. I couldn't wait for Jack any longer. It was now a matter of life or death. I grab Pestilence's outstretched hand.

"Deal."

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><p><strong>My sad attempt at a cliffhanger. If you guys wouldn't mind, could you please, please, please review? It would mean the world to me!<br>Thank you all so, so much for reading!  
>Until next time!<strong>


	5. Chapter 5

**New chapter! I hope you guys enjoy!**

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><p>"Now, my dear, this may hurt a little bit. Don't worry, it'll get worse," Pestilence said happily as I felt a sharp pain in my hand. I pulled my hand away and discovered that I had indeed been infected with whatever new kind of plague this was. When I looked back up, Pestilence was gone, a patch of snow where he was standing had turned to dust, and the grass underneath it was turned a dark, dead black. It seemed Pestilence wasn't only the spirit of famine, but he also brought death wherever he went.<p>

I looked back down at my hand. Dark black veins ran out from the center of my palm like streams. I could tell the sickness was moving fast, for in the few seconds that I had looked away, the black virus had worked its way to the veins of my forearm. The pain was excruciating. I thought I had learned what true pain felt like all those years ago when I climbed the great mountain. I was wrong. This felt as if I was dipping my arm in a pot of liquid fire while it was being stabbed by hundreds of thousands of tiny needles. In a sad attempt to numb the overwhelming pain, I dropped to my knees and plunged my arm elbow-deep into the fresh snow. I yelped and bit my lip. The snow helped numb the pain about as well as dry grass helps put out a wildfire. Tears welled up in my eyes and I bit down harder on my lip. My tongue was soon met with the coppery, metallic taste blood. I said a silent prayer hoping that the blood from my lip wasn't the same sickly black color as the blood that was now crawling up along my shoulder. I squeezed my eyes shut and hoped to God that this would be over quickly.

**Jack POV**

There and back quick as the wind? Yeah right. The wind had another idea. Granted, I was still getting used to the whole flying thing and my powers were also going to take some practice. To be honest, I was still trying to wrap my head around the whole immortal spirit thing. I guess once you have eight people walk straight through you the word _spirit_ has a different meaning. After flopping around in the sky for a couple more minutes, the wind seemed to have decided that it had tortured me enough and finally allowed me to get enough control over it to right myself in the air. My upright hovering was shaky at best, like a newborn fawn standing up for the first time.

Carefully, I urged the wind to gently guide me forward. To my amazement, I didn't crash. Not that there was really anything to crash into up there, but I'm missing my point. I flew forward a little faster than I wanted to, but I couldn't help but feel this sense of absolute freedom. I let out a shout and shot myself higher up into the sky. I could hear my heart beating in my ears and could feel the wind blowing through my hair. This was amazing. This was... _fun_.

As much as I loved learning to fly, I had to get back to Kei'a with her coat before she froze to death. I laughed as I zoomed down toward the clearing in which we had our snowball fight earlier. I spotted the worn down, oversized coat right away, the grey wool the sole spot of color in the white-filled area. Kei'a had slung it over a low hanging branch before our snowball fight, but thanks to the wind, the coat was a good ten feet from the branch. I landed and picked up the coat. It was freezing cold but I knew that it would do no good for me to try to warm it up. I seemed to lack any sort of body heat and instead only be able to give off cold. I, of course, couldn't feel it, but after sitting too close to me for a bit too long, Kei'al'i had begun to complain about the cold. I sighed and wadded the coat up as best I could to keep the inside from getting any colder during the flight back.

Hoping I actually knew what I was doing, I shot back into the sky. After a couple minutes of getting back into the hang of flying, my initial nervousness was replaced by a rush of excitement. Maybe once Kei'al'i got warm again I could take her flying. I knew she would love it. I smiled, picturing her smiling face, pink cheeks contrasting against her beautiful pale skin, her white-blonde hair being blown into an even bigger mess by the wind. Then, almost as an afterthought, I realized that if I took her flying, I would have to hold her. I felt a rush of blood go to my cheeks at the thought of holding her small, petite body against mine, her tiny yet strong arms wrapping around my neck.

I _definitely_ wanted to take Kei'a flying.

It didn't take me very long to spot Kei'al'i's dark blue dress. I couldn't help but laugh. From my high vantage point, her pale skin and light hair blended into the snow almost perfectly, leaving her dress to look as if someone had forgotten it out here in the middle of nowhere. I started to slowly descend, and I realized that Kei'a was laying down, sprawled out in the snow. Fear hit me like a punch to my gut. I could feel my heart starting to beat faster. Was I too late? Was she already dead from the cold? I would never be able to live with myself if she died while I was flying and screwing around like an idiot when I should have been rushing to get her coat back to her.

I free-fell the last thirty feet to where Kei'al'i lay. After faceplanting, I got up and sprinted to where her small body lay, collapsing to my knees next to Kei'a. She was lying on her stomach, her right arm buried up to her elbow in snow, and she somehow seemed even paler than her natural color. Her hair was strewn about in its crazy mess of curls and waves, covering most of her face. My heart hammered in my chest. She couldn't be dead. If she was, it was all my fault. I'd never forgive myself.

I gently but quickly unburied Kei'al'i's arm from the snow. I fought to hold in the gasp of horror that was starting in my throat. There were black veins running all up her arm, twisting and overlapping like spider webs. Her dainty, delicate fingers were frostbitten, the purple at the tips of her fingers fading to blue the closer it got to her knuckles, which were bright red and cracked from the cold. I braced myself as best I could and proceeded to roll Kei'al'i's body over.

I was not prepared for what I saw.

The same black veins from her arm continued up her neck and across her chest to her other shoulder, all the veins meeting in a big black splotch over her heart. The veins had already spread down Kei'a's left arm and I could see some faint grey veins showing above her woolen stockings. Her face was sickly pale, her naturally glowing skin dimmed and black working its way up her cheeks like toxic rivers. Whatever this black stuff was, I concluded, was what was killing her. I had to get her to a doctor.

"Kei'a?" I said softly, shaking her limp form gently. "Kei'al'i? You need to wake up. I need you to tell me where your village doctor is. If I get you there fast enough, you can still make it." I wasn't trying to convince Kei'al'i of that as much as I was trying to convince myself. If I got her help before this poison overtook her entire body, she would have a chance. I had to believe that.

With a slight moan, Kei'al'i gained some consciousness.

"Jack?" She said weakly, her voice coming out about as audible as a mouse squeak. Her head rolled to face me and she opened her eyes. What I saw in them nearly broke my heart. Kei'al'i's bright silver-grey eyes had lost all their former spark of life, making it appear as if she had already given up on fighting. Their color was even darkened, as if the black that was poisoning her body had gotten into her eyes themselves and darkened her deep silver pupils. In a split second, Kei'al'i began coughing, her frail looking body heaving and convulsing with every cough. Not knowing what else to do, I sat her up so that she could breathe easier. Her coughing continued, and something happened that truly terrified me.

She started coughing up blood. Black blood. It stained the snow in front of her like ink blotches on blank paper. Her small body continued to shake as she coughed violently until all of the blood in her throat was cleared. Kei'al'i took a shaky breath, leaning back into me and wiping her bloody mouth off with the sleeve of her dress. If this were a different situation, I would have found this position immensely pleasant. Kei'a would snuggle into my chest and I would pull her farther up into my lap and rest my chin on top of her white-blonde curls. But this is not at all that situation. Kei'a was dying. My first and so far only friend. The girl I just realized I had been developing feelings for. I set my jaw in determination.

I was not going to let her die.

"Kei'a," I whispered gently, trying to put enough force behind my words to show how urgent this really was. "Kei'a, I need you to tell me where the closest doctor is. We can save you as long as you tell me where they are." Kei'al'i coughed again.

"I can't," her voice was weak and raspy from the cold and the coughing, "they can't save me. It's too late, Jack." I became even more determined. I gently turned her head so I could look directly into her eyes.

"No, it's not." I said forcefully. "I can't-I won't accept that." I picked Kei'a up, one hand under her back and the other under her legs. How was she so light? It couldn't have been the sickness.

"Wait, Jack," she placed a hand on my chest, "the moon." When I looked in her eyes, they were dull and clouded but I could see the strong desire in them. She wanted to get closer to the moon. I looked up. It all came down to my decision. The Man in the Moon wasn't helping me. Take Kei'a to a doctor that may have a small chance of saving her life, or let her go and allow her to die close to the Moon, flying freely in the sky.

"Let's go."

Being as gentle as I could, I commanded the wind to take us up into the night sky. As we soared higher, I began registering that it was cold. I couldn't feel it, but I knew it was there. Worried, I looked down at the fragile, dying girl in my arms. Kei'a's dimming eyes were still set on the Moon, she hadn't looked away since she first saw it. I felt a pang in my heart. Even though she was dying and getting frostbite everywhere, this girl was still extremely beautiful. Her hair was gently swaying beneath her head, her cheeks were still tinted pink, but now they had black veins running across them. This was the first girl who I had ever felt like this for. It made me sad to let her go.

"Jack," Kei'a whispered, "the moon. It's so bright. Like... like it's chasing the darkness away." I tried to swallow the lump that had grown in my throat. This was it. Kei'al'i was dying. "Jack?"

"Yes?"

"Return my father's coat. And once I die," she takes a shaky breath, "don't bring my body back. I don't want my parents to see me like this. I don't want anyone to remember me like this." Her breathing was becoming slower and more shallow with every passing second.

"I will and I won't."

"Promise?" Kei'al'i said slowly as her eyes drifted closed and her breathing finally stopped. A single tear fell from my eye and leaning down, I kissed both of her closed eyelids, trying to commit everything, the feel of her skin, her scent, the softness of her hair, to memory.

"I promise."

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><p><strong>Just to avoid any confusion Kei'a (pronounced "key-uh") is Jack's nickname for Kei'al'i (pronounced "key-all-lee"). I was going to have Jack's nickname for her be Snow but with the way I was taking the dialogue, that didn't really end up happening. Oh well.<strong>

**Thank you so much for reading! Please, please, please review! It would mean the world to me to know that at least one person is enjoying this story and would like for me to continue it. I don't mean to be one of those authors who beg for reviews, but they just let me know that someone out there is liking what I write.**

**Anyway, I love you guys so, so much! Until next chapter!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Early update! Whoo! Sorry, it's a little on the short side but I wanted to end it at a place that made sense. Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>Jack POV<strong>

It had been three hundred and three years since I was reborn, three years since the Guardians and I had defeated Pitch Black. About fifteen years ago I finally traded in my cloak and vest for a hooded sweatshirt, the same color blue as- _No_. I mentally slapped myself. I had just started learning to be happy again. I wouldn't let her memory bring me down again. She wouldn't want that.

I sighed and hopped off of the telephone wire on which I was sitting. Jamie had been called inside and put to bed a good two hours ago, but since I had nowhere else to go, I stayed in Burgess. After the first couple of months after our battle with Pitch, I had started to feel at home. Now it had gotten to the point that the wind hardly ever tried to pull me away. This place, those kids, had become my home, my family. I was not going to leave them.

This was the anniversary of my rebirth. The anniversary of Kei'al'i's death. If I hadn't promised myself I'd never go back to that place, I would be flying to see her grave, to sit next to her and tell her all about everything she'd missed in the past three hundred years. As if it could sense my sadness beginning to return, the wind started blowing at my face, trying to turn me around. After some fighting, I gave up and obeyed the stubborn force of nature. Of course, I should have known what the wind wanted me to see.

The moon was full, Manny shining brightly down like he was all those years ago. It felt as if he was mocking me, laughing at my sadness. I clenched my jaw and turned my head to the side, choosing instead to look at the trees whose branches I had just frosted last night. I was trying with all my might to ignore Manny, but he was having none of it. He flashed brighter for an instant before dimming back down to his usual glow. When, after three more flashes I still didn't look at him, Manny started glowing. At first I tried to ignore him as I did before, but he kept glowing brighter and brighter until I had no choice but to look at him. I glared at the Man in the Moon, I could practically see his smug smile all the way down here.

"Well?" I shouted up into the sky, "What do you want?"

At this, Manny flashed a brilliant, blinding white and I was left blinking dots out of my vision.

"Well, that was very useful, thank you. Next time you want to blind someone, choose the Kangaroo." I rubbed at my eyes, an image of the bright light still left even when my eyes were open. I rubbed my eyes and blinked again. That wasn't an image. That was something flying straight toward Burgess. I narrowed my eyes and gripped my staff, my blood beginning to boil. Nothing was going to destroy my home or hurt the people I cared about.

Taking off into the air, I was soon close enough to the approaching light to be able to see what looked faintly like a human body. The white glow seemed to be coming from its heart and long, glowing hair was streaming behind it. Of course this wasn't a meteor, this was a new spirit. That must be why Manny was trying so hard to get my attention. I flew alongside the falling spirit, waiting for her to wake up and stop herself from crashing into Burgess. As we continued to fly closer and closer to Burgess, a seed of worry planted itself in the pit of my stomach. Was this spirit not going to wake up in time? I couldn't help, I didn't have enough room to get us both to a stop. Not at this speed. Throwing all caution to the wind, I shielded my eyes as best I could and shot myself straight at the girl. My arms wrapped around her miniscule frame and her long hair whipped my face. I turned so that if-no-_when_ we hit the ground, I would be taking the blunt of the crash. 

The first thing I saw when I woke up was broken branches in the trees above. I could feel the rough ground digging into my back like a bed of nails. Sitting up, I felt a weight on my lap and discovered that it was the new spirit. I tried to shake her awake, but she didn't even stir. Was it possible for a spirit to die before they even got to be a spirit? I looked up at Manny, confused. A moment later, my vision went out of focus, my mind being invaded by the Man in the Moon himself.

"_This is my daughter, Leetah Starheart. Watch over her. If anything happens to her, it's your staff I'm coming after. This is the only time I will warn you, Jack Frost_." With that, my vision returned to normal and I could hear the wind blowing in my ears once again. Something about what Manny said bothered me, but I couldn't put my finger on it. Maybe it was her last name. Yep, that was it. Starheart. It sounded like the hunting gear company Carhartt. I chuckled. Leetah Carhartt, daughter of the Moon.

Speaking of the girl whose name I had just been making fun of, she still hadn't moved. Leetah was laying across my lap, her tiny body feeling weightless. It was obvious that Leetah was at least a teenager. Despite her petite, childlike size, she had curves and _other_ body parts that only come through puberty. I honestly tried not to stare, but I couldn't help it. She was wearing a long, sleeveless dress that looked as if it were made out of pure liquid silver. It hugged and flattered every one of her curves, leaving little to the imagination. After a couple of minutes attempting to look somewhere other than at the daughter of the moon's body, I peeled my eyes up to look at her face. I let out a small chuckle. Leetah's long, straight hair was strewn all across her face, not allowing any of her facial features to be seen. I touched her hair, meaning to move it away from her face, but something, a memory, tugged at the back of my mind. I didn't have the slightest idea where I would have felt her hair before. I would have remembered seeing a girl with her color of silvery white-blonde hair. Unless...

I shook my head, pushing the thought to the back of my mind. I was being ridiculous. I had to focus. Moving Leetah's hair away from her face with the gentlest of touches, I couldn't help but recognize her. My heart started beating faster and faster. Moving the rest of her hair away, my heart stopped. In my arms was the first friend I ever had, the first friend I'd ever lost. I was holding the unconscious form of-

"Kei'al'i."

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><p><strong>Bum bum bummmmm. I apologize for the abrupt ending but my mind was thinking of this as if it was a television episode, like I could end on a cliffhanger before commercial break... That made no sense, did it? Oh well.<br>Please review! Reviews help destroy writer's block, my mortal enemy!  
>Thank you guys so, so much for reading! I love each and every one of you and I'll be back for more awkward author's notes later! :)<strong>


	7. Chapter 7

**Whew! Who knew that one review could inspire me to write up an entire chapter in two hours? Thank you, CrystalQueen, for reviewing! You're awesome! I didn't even think that far ahead in the story and your question made me really think about where I could take it. Girl, you have inspired the rest of this story, thank you so much!**

**Anyway, there are some funky words in here. I kind of made up a language that I call Starspeak for this because, you know, why not?  
>Translations:<br>"Pado"-Father  
>"Mati"-Mother<br>"Nahta"-Wisher  
>"Caetha"-Ultimate Law of the Night, it's like the Constitution for stars...<br>Also, Manny calls Leetah "Starchild", it's just a sort of nickname for her. I don't know, it just sounds cool.**

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><p><strong>Leetah POV<strong>

*Flashback*  
><em>"You have disgraced me, daughter," Pado's voice boomed. I rolled my eyes. What did I do this time? I tried thinking back to the last couple of wishes I'd granted, but none of them stuck out to me as necessarily bad. I crossed my arms and moved to the center of my room.<em>

_"What did I do this time, Pado?" I asked, annoyed._

_"You granted a selfish wish, Starchild." My arms dropped to my sides and my body slumped as if I had just been delivered a punch to the stomach. My mind went completely numb. I had done what? I always evaluated the Nahta's true character before I grant any wishes. I was always very thorough with my checks before I grant a wish, Pado had taught me that._

_"Pado, I did no such thing. I have done what I always have, see the Nahta's true character before I give anything. I've never messed up a wish before," I said, nervously stroking my thumb across the strange scar on my left palm. Pado said I was born with it, that the first thing my little-well, littler hand grabbed was my Mati's Jupiter diamond necklace, effectively cutting my hand open. "Three hundred years I've been watching them, seeing every mistake and misjudgment that they make," I said, turning my view to the world below me, "not one of them have been perfect, not even your spirits of protection. So," I turned to the light Pado was making in the middle of my room, hoping I can charm my way out of this situation like I had done with Mati so many times, "I don't see why stars have to be perfect. I mean, how bad can one misgranted wish be?"_

_"How bad? HOW BAD?" Pado's voice came roaring so loud that he could probably have been heard in the next galaxy over. "Your misgranted wish allowed for a bad man to purchase supplies to create weapons of mass destruction. He singlehandedly fueled a war. Your misgranted wish caused the deaths of hundreds of people and counting!" My jaw dropped and I felt tears building in my eyes. I knew the punishment for breaking the Caetha._

_"Please, Pado. I don't want to. I want to stay here with you and Mati. I don't even have to grant wishes anymore, I can be a desk job star! I am begging you, don't make me go!" My tears finally spilled out of my eyes and came streaming down my face._

_"All I can do for you, Starchild, is give you a second chance. To do so, I will have to place the Curse of Pestilence back on you. You will fall, as is the punishment, but I can send you to the ground and make you one of my spirits. Once you find your center, and only once you do so, you may return home." I nodded, accepting his offer, and closed my eyes. In the next instant, the world of light and color that I knew and loved went black._

"Leetah," a voice called. Even though I was still in the process of regaining consciousness, I recognized the huskiness of the boy's voice, as if he was just on the verge of manhood. I wanted to see the face to which the voice belonged, but I was more tempted by the welcoming arms of sleep. Just as I closed my eyes, a freezing cold hand gently shook me awake. It then moved from my shoulder to my face, resting on my cheek. It felt as if I could get frostbite if the hand stayed on my face for too long, but I didn't care. I couldn't get frostbite and the cold had never bothered me. Coming from space, a place in which even the concept of heat was not possible, nothing was really too cold for me. The cold actually reminded me of home, and in my concussed daze, I snuggled my face into the boy's hand and smiled. His hand was soft, his long, slender fingers were in my hair and to be honest, I enjoyed it. Maybe it was just the lack of action back home. It's not possible to instantly love being in someone's company, is it?

"Leetah," the voice came again, more gentle this time. I knew that voice from somewhere. "Leetah Carhartt, you have to wake up now or Manny is seriously going to kill me."

"Who are you calling Carhartt, popsicle?" I said, sitting up. I didn't look at the boy with the icy cold hands. Maybe if I ignored him he'd go away.

"Popsicle? What, are you secretly friends with the Kangaroo?" He sounded like he was angry, offended, and joking all at the same time. Who knew that humans were such confusing creatures?

"I do not know a kangaroo, just as I do not know you. Now, if you would kindly leave me to take care of my business, it would be greatly appreciated." I didn't know if I actually wanted this boy to go or not, but I needed to focus, and having to tote some stranger along with me would only slow me down.

"Oh, come on, Carhartt. You know you don't want me to go," his infuriatingly cheery voice rang out behind me. I stood up, still refusing to look at the stranger.

"Or maybe you don't want me to want you to go." I said, crossing my arms and finally turning around. Instantly, I knew how I knew his voice. Jack Frost had been invading my dreams for hundreds of years, and even at night when I thought I'd be rid of his handsome face and easy smile, he would stand there, leaning on his staff and staring up at me. My heart started beating fast, but I didn't allow it to show. All I did was look him in his ice blue eyes and raised an eyebrow in a superior manner.

"You've got fire," Frost said, his long legs covering the distance between us in mere seconds, "I like fire." Moon help me. He was inches away from me. We were looking at each other, our height difference making it slightly comical. I had my head almost all the way back, while his chin was almost hitting his chest. I didn't even have time to think about my comeback before it slipped out of my mouth.

"Fire melts walking icicles like you." Did I seriously just say that? I wanted to apologize, but something in me wanted not to. I listened to the little hypothetical devil on my shoulder. I stood there, ignoring the horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach. Suddenly, my hand started to burn. Fuck, I had forgotten that the Curse of Pestilence was on me again. I had to watch what I did, or I'd end up almost dying like last time. I balled my hand into a fist, trying to keep the pain from showing in my face.

"Oh, also a little spitfire, I see. Maybe you shouldn't be Starheart. Maybe you should be Fireheart instead." Something in me clicked. It felt like a puzzle piece clicked into place. I had always hated my last name, but since I couldn't do anything about it, I simply dealt with it._ Fireheart_, I repeated in my head. It felt right. I looked up at Jack, our faces not too far apart except for our height differences. _This_ felt right. Finally meeting the infuriatingly handsome, witty, carefree, and annoying Jack Frost. Feelings that I thought I had buried long ago came flooding back to me. Years of believing that Jack and I were meant to be, of begging Pado to send me to the ground so I could be with him.

Oh, God. Why was I chewing on my lip? Why did he just look at my lips? No, stop. I shouldn't do this. My eyes flickered to his lips before I could stop them. Why can I not control myself? I continued to chew on my lip, a nervous habit I picked up a few decades ago. This made me even more annoyed with myself. Jack was looking at me as if I were the only thing in the world, and as my eyes met his, the rest of the world seemed to become unimportant. Why am I such a hopeless romantic? Stop. Jack stepped closer, an icy cold hand coming to rest on my cheek, my head tilting up as if it had a mind of its own. My heart was beating a billion times a minute and I was pretty sure Jack could hear it pounding away. His eyes flashed down to my lips once more.

The next second, Jack's lips met mine. Oh, God, it was like a live wire went off, electricity shooting through my bones and spreading throughout my body. My eyes slid closed and I stood on my tiptoes, trying to get closer to Jack. Jack moved so that he was cupping my face. The electricity went through my bones again and my heart skipped a beat. His freezing cold lips were moving against mine hungrily, and my hands flew up to twist around his neck. Jack turned us around, and my back hit a tree. He was pressing me against the rough bark of the tree, but I gave zero fucks at that moment. My foot found a root that was sticking out of the ground a good six inches. Stepping up and balancing on the root, I finally was able to fully wrap my tiny arms around Jack's neck, my fingers lacing into his snow white hair. Jack, in return, pressed his body as close to mine as he could. One of my hands released Jack's hair and instead rested on his hard, muscular chest. Jack moved his hands to rest on my waist as he finally pulled back. He rested his forehead on mine, his cold nose touching mine, both of us breathing heavily with our eyes closed. I couldn't even form a coherent thought, my mind was so scrambled. After some time, Jack broke the silence.

"I shouldn't have done that."

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><p><strong>Ahhh! I finally wrote a kiss! I don't know if it's any good, but I'm still proud of it. I'm always afraid to write kisses because it seems super personal to me, like people will judge you based on them...<br>Anyway, thank you so much for reading and every single review is deeply appreciated! I love you all so much!  
>See you guys next chapter! :)<strong>


	8. Chapter 8

**Yay! Fast update! Sorry that this is a little on the short side, but after I while I felt like I was just repeating the same thing over and over again...**

**I'd like to say a HUGE thank you to CrystalQueen for her reviews! Thank you for the positive feedback and the support. You're awesome! :)  
>Also thank you to DarkAzalea for your review! I'll try to keep it interesting for you!<strong>

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><p><strong>Leetah POV<strong>

"I shouldn't have done that."

Jack's words echoed over and over in my head. I could feel my heart beating fast, like it was trying its hardest to stay in one piece. Did he regret kissing me? Did he not like it? Did I do something wrong? The way he said it, he sounded so apologetic. Like he was sorry for leading me to believe that he had any sort of feelings for me. Jack had backed away from the tree and was now standing across the clearing I had created when I fell. He wouldn't even look at me. When he saw me looking at him, he turned his head away, setting his jaw and looking up at Pado. Something broke inside of me. I was as much of a mistake here as I had been back home. Everyone would be better off if I just disappeared. Without making a sound, I stepped off of my perch and slipped away into the dense, snow covered forest behind me. As soon as I felt tears building up in my eyes, I started to sprint away, and I never wanted to look back.

**Jack POV**

Oh, Moon, I'd finally done it. I finally kissed Kei'a. Or, I guess I should call her Leetah now. My Fireheart.

I didn't mean to kiss her, honestly. She was just so close to me, and I was still coming down off of the high I had gotten when I discovered that Manny had saved her. Her hair was different, longer, straight, and more silvery, her skin had more of a silvery glow to it, but her eyes were the same. Those eyes that I saw every time I closed my eyes. Those eyes that I fell in love with more than three hundred years ago. When I looked in those endless pools of silver, the rest of the world disappeared. Leetah was the only thing I wanted.

Before I knew what was happening, I was kissing her. I tried to tell myself that she doesn't remember me, that to her I was a random stranger who was assaulting her face with his mouth. I nearly froze everything with happiness when Leetah began kissing me back. I moved so that I was cupping her face, and white hot electricity shot through my veins when she wound her fingers into my hair. I lost control, turning us around so I was pressing her against a nearby tree. Just as I was finding it a little difficult to continually lean down to kiss her, Leetah had balanced herself on a root and wound her arms all the way around my neck. Moon and stars, I tried to stop. I couldn't help myself, I kept kissing her until I remembered my initial thought. Leetah doesn't remember me. I was sexually assaulting her, even if she didn't know it. Putting my hands on Leetah's waist, I finally broke our kiss. I closed my eyes, leaning my forehead on hers, feeling like it was so hot it could melt me at any moment. Still catching my breath, I loosened myself from Leetah's grip, not wanting her to let go of me yet.

"I shouldn't have done that," I apologized. Leetah's arms dropped from my shoulders and the look on her face broke my heart. I was about to explain why, that she didn't actually know me, when Manny trespassed into my mind.

"_No_," he said, "_you shouldn't have. Let me tell you this, boy. My daughter is only there to find her center. She does not wish to mingle with spirits like you. She does not wish to have a, what do you call it, fling? with you. She is there so that she may return home_." I had turned away from Leetah in shame and embarrassment, and when I saw her sad, broken face out of the corner of my eye, I snapped. Setting my jaw, I turned to look fully at the Moon.

"You're wrong. Maybe she doesn't want to mingle with spirits like me, but it is you who don't want her to have a relationship with me. It's you that wants me to keep my distance from her. I bet she doesn't even want to go back home to you, if you control her like this." The Man in the Moon flashed a bright, angry light at me, but said no more. I turned back around to explain myself to Leetah, but she wasn't there.

My Fireheart was gone.

**Leetah POV**

I didn't know where I was, or where I was going, but I knew that I didn't want to stop running. Tears blurred my vision and my dress kept getting caught on twigs and bushes. Wiping at my eyes with one hand, I gathered up my long silver dress with my other, inspecting it for any snags or tears. I also took a moment to attempt to determine where I was. Looking up, I felt panic set in the pit of my stomach. The sky was empty, devoid of any light. Not even Mati, the north star, was shining. I couldn't help but wonder if it was something that I did, if my kissing Jack made Pado so angry as to abandon me.

I could feel the tears coming again. I didn't want to run, I didn't want to try to find Jack. All I wanted to do was curl up and disappear. That was the only way everyone would be happy. I closed my eyes, thinking back on all the good times I'd had with Pado, him teaching me how to properly grant wishes, both of us staying up late into the morning to see what the humans did when they weren't sleeping. Then, my mind was filled with the memory of Jack and I's kiss. I could feel my heart breaking. Maybe I really was a mistake. In a matter of hours, I had fucked everything up to the point that I didn't even want to try to fix it.

I sat down, the snow cooling my hot, sweaty skin. It felt like a desert down here, and it wasn't even summer. Sprawling out so that I was laying on my back in the snow, I looked into the dark, empty sky. My family wasn't there for me. Jack wasn't there for me. I had no one.

"Well, well," a mocking voice came from behind me, "what do we have here?"

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><p><strong>Another sucky attempt at a cliffhanger! I feel like my Jack POVs don't sound like things that guys would actually say, you know? I've never really tried writing from a guy's perspective and it's actually really hard.<strong>

**Thanks again to CrystalQueen for her reviews, you rock, girl!**

**I love you guys so much, and thank you so much for reading! Please let me know what you guys think or leave some suggestions as to things I can try to put into the story! I'll see you guys next chapter! :)**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hello, my lovely readers! I apologize for the long wait, but Christmas has just been hectic, and on top of that, I had writer's block!**

**DarkAzalea: I tried to work your idea in as much as I could and still have it make sense in my mind. Once I got writing, though, I got it close(ish, maybe) and changed it to work with what I saw in my mind. I hope you don't mind. Anyway, you're awesome!**

**My thanks also goes out to CrystalQueen for her continued support. I love you both!**

**Anyway, enjoy!**

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><p>Leetah POV<p>

"Well, old friend, you should see your little daughter now. So helpless, alone, and afraid. All because of you." I heard a voice coming out of the darkness. Even after regaining consciousness, my mind still felt foggy. I opened my eyes and all I could see was black. Closing my eyes again, I took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart. I had no idea where I was, who took me here, or if I would ever see again. To be completely honest, I was terrified.

"Oh, and of course you sent her down as a star. What did you think would happen? That if she wasn't a spirit, she could return to you? Too bad she'll never get a chance. Once I turn her heart black, she will be the thing that allows my son to rule by my side." The last thing I heard was the British man's maniacal laugh before being dragged back into unconsciousness.

**Jack POV**

"LEETAH!" I called, "LEETAH!" I was flying throughout the Burgess forest in search of my Fireheart. I didn't even realize that she had run off until I turned and saw her gone. That girl was silent. I wasn't even completely worried until Manny was covered by clouds, plunging the night into absolute darkness. Other people would have written it off as a natural occurrence, but I knew better.

It was Pitch.

I could hear my heart thumping in my ears. I was desperately trying to find Leetah in hopes that he hadn't found her first. I was scanning the ground when I saw a glint of something silver. I felt hope rising in my chest, even though I tried my hardest to press it down. Landing in the small clearing, I quickly found the silver object. It was one of Leetah's shoes. I picked it up delicately and examined it

Black dust. Pitch's nightmare sand was dusted all over the tiny shoe. Rage began building up inside of me, causing me to grip my staff so tight that I feared I would break it, and shoot up into the sky. A blizzard was already brewing, and I knew Jamie would want to play tomorrow, but right then, I had other plans. I was going to find Pitch and punch him so hard that Tooth would have a hayday. My sights set on where I knew Pitch's lair was, on the very outskirts of the forest. Setting my jaw, I flew fast and straight as a bullet to the entrance to Pitch's lair.

I was surprised when I realized that the lair was different than before, more jail-like. I found myself in a small, dimly lit hallway that lead to the main room. I was about to run to where I knew Pitch would be hiding when I saw something out of the corner of my eye. Crossing the hallway in a single pace, I was face-to-face with... a wall. But, slightly above my head, most likely where Pitch's eye level would be, there was a small window, complete with bars that would satisfy a prison warden. Floating up, I peeked in the window and let out a small gasp.

"Leetah."

I had to get to her. She was laying motionless on a stone table, her beautiful hair spread around her like an angel's halo, her pale skin making her seem as if she were glowing. I made quick work of freezing the bars and breaking them apart into one or two pieces so that I made the least amount of sound possible. Once I squeezed through the small opening, I sprinted to Leetah's side, every other thought being forgotten. I was horrified at what I saw.

Leetah was pale as always, but her skin had less of a silvery, healthy glow and was instead more dull and deathly white. Her arms, which were laying at her sides, were wrapped up to her shoulders with thick black thorns. the vines were as big around as my wrists, the thorns an inch long and, I assumed, razor sharp. Leetah's hands were cut and bleeding, the red liquid staining her dress and dripping off the sides of the table. Upon inspection, I discovered that there were thorns wrapped around her legs as well, but I didn't dare look to see how far up they had gone. Going back up to her shoulder, I tried to pull the thorn vine off, which only caused it to wrap itself tighter around Leetah's shoulder and start to work its way across her chest and up the opposite side of her neck. Leetah let out a whimper of pain as the thorns dug deeper into her arms, extracting more blood. My heart sunk. I'd never be able to get her out of here by myself without hurting her even more. I thought about freezing the vines, but that would also mean freezing my Fireheart. Knowing there was nothing else I could do, I stationed myself by Leetah's head, my hand finding its way to her hair and gently stroking it. Suddenly, a voice came out of nowhere.

"He did that to her." It was a voice that I'd never heard before, male, with an accent that was a strange mix between American and British. By the sound of his voice, he was maybe sixteen.

"I know," I said, biting down on the inside of my cheek to avoid getting angry at this person that I could not see.

"Do you know why?" the boy asked, clearly knowing the answer. When I refused to respond, the boy continued speaking. "She refused to join him. She refused to allow him to turn her heart dark, and he didn't take very kindly to it. This is what he did to her for not working with him."

I tried to control my rage. How dare he? How could Pitch just expect someone to work with him, especially someone with a heart as kind as Leetah's? How could he, when keeping her prisoner is punishment enough, torture her while she was completely helpless? I clenched my jaw, taking short, deep breaths to try to calm my anger. "Why are you telling me this?" I asked without meaning to. But I had to know.

"She is innocent," the boy responded, "and I do not want her heart falling into the hands of Pitch Black." The thorns then started shrinking, the vines retreating from Leetah's small body. Two minutes later, Leetah was completely free of the vines and I had covered her arms and legs in a thin layer of frost to slow the bleeding. "Now, get out of here. You have sixty seconds before Pitch comes and finds her missing."

"Thank you," was all I could say before I felt as if I was alone again. Taking a miniature snow globe out of my sweatshirt pocket, I shook it and whispered, "North Pole."

Throwing the small magical orb to the floor, I turned and picked up Leetah, supporting her under her legs and back. The portal opened, and as I stepped through, I made a promise.

That I would never let anything harm my Fireheart again.

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><p><strong>Sad attempt at a cliffhanger? Yes, it is. Thank you guys so, so much for reading and again, if you have any ideas or suggestions, tell me and I'll try to work them in here. I have another week of break, so hopefully I can get some more chapters out before I have to go back to school.<strong>

**I love you guys so, so much and feel free to review (I don't bite)! See you next chapter!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey, guys! I apologize for the long wait, I actually lost my computer and had to write most of this on my phone. Let me tell you, that takes forever.**

**Huge thank you to CrystalQueen and DarkAzalea for their reviews and constant support! I love you guys, stay awesome! :)**

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><p><strong>Jack POV<strong>

Carrying Leetah into North's workshop, I let out a blast of ice, causing a miniature snowstorm. Seconds later, North came out of his office, yelling.

"Jack! Why you always make it-oh! Who is this?" He asked, gesturing at Leetah with a giant hand.

"This is Leetah. Long story, no time. She needs help." I say hurriedly. The frost was beginning to melt from her arms and the blood was still coming.

"Very well. Follow, we take to infirmary," North said, turning around and stomping off, carefully avoiding toys and elves that may find themselves under his large feet.

"Wait, you have an infirmary?" I asked, having to fly in order to keep up with the large man's stride.

"Of course have infirmary," North boomed. The Russian man kept walking, acting as if all of the chaos around them were completely normal. I guess, in a sense, it was. It is November, after all. Almost Christmas. "Many accidents," he added, as if it were obvious. I suppose it was a valid argument, but the yetis were always very careful and never hurt themselves. North seemed to be able to read my mind, leaning back and putting a hand up to shield his mouth from everyone else. "Elves," he whispered.

Looking over, I saw a group of elves had wrapped a paper tree in Christmas lights and plugged them in, resulting in a fire. Yetis quickly put it out, but the elves didn't seem to understand what they did wrong.

"Right," I said, flying faster in order to catch up with North. He had stopped far ahead of me and was now standing in front of a large white door, gesturing for me to enter. When I did, I found myself face-to-face with the last person-or thing, rather-that I expected. "Phil?"

The largest, most intimidating yeti that I knew was wearing a white candy striper dress and a nurse's cap. Phil looked down in shame, his mustache wiggling as he grumbled to himself. Straightening himself back out, Phil spotted the unconscious Leetah in my arms.

"Opahh!" Phil said, waving his hands by his face as if he were both surprised and distressed. "Dopa tifop!" He took Leetah out of my arms and gently laid her in the nearest bed. He quickly began taking her vitals, listening to her heartbeat and shining a bright light in her eyes. Phil then ran off and returned seconds later with an armful of bandages. He started unrolling the first bandage, getting ready to put it on Leetah's arm when I stopped him.

"Maybe I should do it since you have, you know, fur?" I asked, trying to be as polite as I could. To be honest, I kind of wanted to be the one to heal Leetah, to nurse her back to health since I wasn't able to save her last time.

"Umpah! Grah potah!" Phil said, shaking out the bandage once again. He puffed out his chest and held his head slightly higher. I just got told by a yeti. In a language that I didn't even comprehend. I was about to say something back when an enormous hand came to rest on my shoulder.

"Let him work. Phil very capable of healing her." Phil then began wrapping the long bandage around Leetah's arm, tucking the end under and grabbing a new bandage for her forearm and hand. His hands were moving quickly, his fingers expertly avoiding any of the open gashes on Leetah's arms. Not a single hair fell onto either bandage. Triumphantly, Phil moved to wrap Leetah's other arm. "Come," North said, "Let Phil work. Tell me about friend." North stood me up and started leading me to the hallway. Turning my head around, I tried to catch one last glance at Leetah before trying to explain everything to the leader of the Guardians.

**Leetah POV**

_(In Pitch's lair)_  
><em>I woke up with nothing but darkness to welcome me. I sat up, rubbing my head. I didn't remember falling asleep. Last I remembered, it was night. Stars never sleep at night, so that would make no sense. My eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness and I looked around, trying to figure out where I was. I was trapped in a small room, the only piece of furniture being the large concrete table I woke up on. There was no door, only a window that was way too high for me to even hope to climb out of. My heart started beating faster, my breathing becoming shorter. I was trapped.<em>

_"So you're the star." I whirled around but saw no one. My heart was beating so loud that this person could probably hear it._

_"Who are you," I asked, trying to sound brave._

_"No one of any consequence." The voice sounded like a young man's, his accent being a strange mix between British and American. Again I looked for the source of the voice and again I found nothing._

_"Where are you? Why can't I see you?" I whirled around, afraid to let this person be behind me. I continued scanning the small room for anything that seemed at all humanoid._

_"I'm right here." Suddenly a boy appeared out of nowhere. I didn't allow myself to scream, but I couldn't stop myself from falling over in shock. Before I hit the ground, I felt a pair of arms wrap around me. I looked up, straight into the golden-hazel eyes of the boy. He was leaning over me, his shoulder length black hair falling down on either side of his face. His nose was long and thin, his jawline as sharp as a knife. His skin seemed almost as if it were a pale grey color. He was panting, and I could feel every muscle of his twig-skinny arm where it was wrapped around my back. Looking back at his face, I noticed a blush forming on his high, sharp cheeks. Everything about this boy seemed very sharp and angular, as if he was made to look as distrustful and terrifying as possible._

_"What's your name?" I asked once the boy placed me back on my feet. He wasn't a lot taller than me, not like Jack was. My 5'3" frame came up to his mouth whereas with Jack, my head fit perfectly under his chin. Or at least it would, if... Nevermind._

_"My name is Neal. I already know who you are, daughter of the moon." Guilt flashed in Neal's eyes and he turned his head so I couldn't see his face. "I'm supposed to kill you."_

_"What?" I took a step back, not believing that this boy who couldn't be any older than me would actually kill anyone._

_"I don't want to, Leetah Starheart, trust me. It's just that my father isn't giving me a choice. He said that I could kill you quickly and painlessly or he would do it slowly and in the most painful way imaginable." Neal's voice was frantic, but I could tell that he was telling the truth. "See, your heart is special. Whoever possesses the heart of a star will be immortal, unstoppable. My father wants me to take it so that I can join him and rule by his side. I don't want to, Leetah, but what else am I supposed to do? My center is hate."_

_"How do you know?" I asked, interrupting Neal before he got too far into self-loathing._

_"What?" He asked, confused._

_"How do you know that your center is hate?" Neal opened his mouth and shut it a moment later. I let him do this a couple of times before I continued. "Tell me, do you feel hateful?" He shook his head no. "Do you enjoy the feeling of hatred? Does hatred make you happy?" Again, Neal's head shook no._

_"But my center is hate. It has to be, that's what my father always told me." Neal sat on the concrete table in the center of the room._

_"Maybe it's not hate. Maybe it's something good and your father has simply been lying to you." I walked over and hauled myself up onto the table, sitting next to Neal._

_"But I've never been good. Even though I try not to, I always destroy every good thing I see." He dropped his head into his hands in despair. I thought long and hard about what that might have meant._

_"Maybe your center isn't hate, but balance." Neal's head popped up, his eyes filled with confusion. "It doesn't mean you're evil, necessarily, it just means that you're the other side of a coin. Don't you see? There can't be good without bad, just as there can't be light without darkness. You're what people here call karma. I believe that if you try, you can be good while fulfilling your duties of being bad. That made no sense, did it?"_

_"No, that made perfect sense!" Neal exclaimed, shooting up off of the table to pace around the room in excitement. "That explains why I've never actually felt like being evil is my thing-because it's technically not!" Neal came running to me, grabbed my shoulders, and planted a kiss on my forehead. He flashed one more smile at me before practically running out of a door that appeared out of nowhere._

_"It seems you had no problem convincing my son to believe your lies," came a cold voice behind me. "It seems I'll have to kill you myself."_

I woke up with a start. I didn't know where I was, but I was glad that I was no longer in that horrible dark room. This new place was bright, light streamed in the windows near the top of the large circular room. The ceiling was pointed, made out of light colored wood that matched the airiness of the room. The walls were painted a deep, crimson red color, which somehow reflected just enough light to make the room seem even brighter. Sitting up dizzily, I realize that I was laying in what looked to be a fancy hospital bed. A small mattress was placed on top of a tall bed frame, thick red and white sheets replacing the thin grey sheets of a normal hospital. Looking around, I see that there were multiple beds like mine set up all around the room. My train of thought was interrupted as I saw something move out of the corner of my eye.

Whipping my head around, I discovered what had moved. It was Jack, asleep in an uncomfortable looking chair placed next to my bed. His staff was placed leaning against the wall, his body looked cramped, as if he had been sitting in that chair for a long period of time.

"Jack?" I asked, slightly afraid. As welcoming as this place seemed, I still had no idea where I was. Jack's eyes shot open, his hand immediately reaching for mine.

"Leetah! What's wrong?"

"Where am I? What happened?" I asked as I try to stand up.

"Woah, woah, easy, Leetah," Jack said, pushing gently on my shoulder so that I was sitting back down, leaning against the headboard. "You're at the North Pole, my home. You were kidnapped by Pitch." The image of Neal's father flashed in my mind. "Thank the Moon I got to you out of there in time. Who knows what would have happened if I didn't find you when I did."

I tried telling myself not to get too excited, but I couldn't help it. Jack actually saved me? He was worried about me? He must have stayed here beside me the entire time if he was asleep in the chair like that. My heart felt like it was going to burst. I looked up at Jack, his face filled with relief and something else that I couldn't quite identify.

"Thank you," I whispered.

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><p><strong>CrystalQueen, I tried. I really did. Thank you so much for your suggestion, if you have any more, feel free to share them! :)<strong>

**We have a new character: Neal Black, Pitch's son. I honestly have no idea where I am taking his story, but I mean, as long as I'm making up the rest on the fly, why not? I kind of pictured Neal's hair to be like Bucky Barnes' in the Winter Soldier and his eyes to be more of a golden brown than a pure yellow like Pitch's. What are your thoughts on Neal? Yay? Nay?**

**I love you all so much, and thank you a ton for reading! If you like it, leave a review! Each review is treasured like Gollum cherishes his precious. Okay, too far? It's late, I'm sleep deprived. Anyway, see you next chapter!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey, guys! Fast update! So some important things happen in this chapter (at least I think they do, I kind of zone out when I write so I have no idea what's going on...) Anyway, yeah. I'll see you at the end of the chapter!**

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><p><strong>Leetah POV<strong>

"You don't need to thank me," Jack whispered back, his ice blue eyes meeting mine.

"Yes I do," I said, not daring to look away. "You could have easily left me there, or not even have gone looking for me." I dropped my gaze to my hands, not wanting to say what I was thinking but needing to know. "Why did you even come after me? I'm nothing special." Jack stopped me, putting his hands on either side of my face and leaning down to be able to look me in the eyes.

"I went after you because you are special, Leetah." His voice was so gentle, and I wanted to believe him so badly.

"I'm only special because I'm a star. Because I'm the Moon's daughter." I tried dropping my face to look at my hands again, but Jack had a different idea. Still holding the sides of my face, he gently pushed with his palms on my jaw so that I looked him in the eye again. My mouth opened slightly in surprise. Jack's enchanting blue eyes, which normally held so much mischief, were watery and full of sadness.

"_Never_ think that you are not special or important. You're important to me. Not just because you're a star or because you're Manny's daughter. Because I care about you."

Before I knew what was happening, Jack's lips were on mine. Electricity coursed through my body and my heart started beating a million miles an hour. My hands wound themselves into his hair as Jack continued to kiss me hungrily. I kissed him back, not wanting him to think for even a second that I wanted to stop. I wanted to stay in this moment forever. Jack's hands moved from my face and buried themselves in my long, thick hair. Jack then ran his tongue along my bottom lip, and I gasped. He took the opportunity to sit me up so that I was on the edge of the bed and placed himself between my legs. The way we were situated may have looked to anyone else to be extremely sexual, but to me, it was perfect. Jack licked my lip again, seeming as if he were asking permission. Hell yes, I granted him permission. His tongue slipped past my lips and as we started exploring each other's mouths, I couldn't help but notice how he tasted like wintergreen. His kiss was the kind of cold that you never want to leave and the heat that it produced in my chest was more addicting than any drug imaginable.

"Fireheart," Jack said, barely breaking the kiss.

"Hmm?" I began nipping gently on Jack's bottom lip, causing him to grab my shoulders as if he had to stop himself.

"You're glowing," he panted.

"It's what stars do."

"No, like you're actually glowing. I think I may go blind soon, Fireheart."

Taking a second to calm myself down, I open my eyes to discover that Jack was telling the truth, a bright light was emanating from my chest. Neal's words echoed in my mind: _whoever possesses the heart of a star..._

**Neal POV**

Something stirs in my heart as I watch Leetah kiss that no good Jack Frost. I wave my hand through the dark cloud of sand, sending its remnants scattering across the floor. That's what I get for checking up on Leetah, for wanting to make sure she's safe and most importantly, alive. I shake my head. There is no reason I should be acting like this, getting jealous of Jack Frost of all people. Why did I feel a pull toward the Moon's daughter? The only reason that I could think of was that she was the first person to see me as someone other than Pitch Black's son, the motherless boy. She saw me as a person, an individual separate from my father and my absentee mother.

"Cornelius?" I hear my father calling for me. He sounded angry. I rolled my eyes. This was going to be fun. "Cornelius, where is the star," my father asked, bursting into the room. I could practically see the steam coming out of his ears, and I found myself wishing his head would burst like the villains of the cartoons I watched as a kid.

"How many times have I told you that my name is Neal?" I ask calmly. This was the last conversation I wanted to be having right now, especially with the man who fathered me.

"Cornelius Kozmotis Black, I will only ask you one more time. Where. Is. The. Star?" I rolled my eyes. If he wanted the truth, I'd give it to him.

"She's safe, away from here, and away from you." I turn and walk to the door. My father grabs my arm, his grip tight enough that it will probably leave bruises. I turn my head to meet his furious glare, his unnaturally yellow eyes not affecting me as they do other people. Wanting to see how far I could push my luck, I say the one thing that I know will make my father absolutely furious. "With Jack Frost."

Letting go of my arm, my father walks to the door. "I think," he said, his voice taking on an evil tone that sent chills down my spine, "that since you care so much about this star, you can have a front row seat."

"What are you going to do?"

"Kill her. I'll cut out her heart and use it to become the most powerful being alive, all while you watch helplessly."

"NO!" I scream as I run at my father, but I was too late. The door had already closed and his maniacal laughter could be heard as well as the sliding of the lock into place.

**Leetah POV**

A man came in not long after Jack pointed out that I was glowing. The light in my chest had now dimmed to a faint shine, only visible if you knew it was there. Jack stood up a little straighter when the large man came stomping up to my bedside. Confused, I looked between Jack and the mountain of man, beard, and fur coat before me. The way Jack acted, this man could be his father. The only real similarities I saw between them were the color of their hair and eyes. Other than that, there was no resemblance.

"Leetah," Jack said, pulling me out of my thoughts, "I would like you to meet Nicholas St. North."

"Oh, no need to be so formal, Jack," the man laughed, his Russian accent making it difficult to understand exactly what he was saying. "Call me North." North looked at me, his bright blue eyes filled with curiosity. "You are star? Manny's daughter? Manny never told me he had daughter."

"Well, he does, whether he wants me or not," I say, crossing my arms over my chest. I still hadn't forgotten how he so easily abandoned me when I needed him most.

"How do I know you are telling truth?" North reached a massive arm up to pet his beard, revealing a tattooed arm reading "naughty".

"Who would claim to be that which they are not?"

"Suppose you are right. Tell me, what is your center, Leetah Moonchild?" North's face dropped to a look that made me fear for my life, his entire stature changing to one of intimidation.

"My-my center? Look, I don't know what my center is, that's what I was sent here to figure out!" My voice came out as a squeak. I was terrified of this version of North. Maybe it had something to do with that "naughty" tattoo.

"Wait, wait, wait," Jack said, stepping closer to me, "what do you mean, you were sent here to figure out your center?"

"I broke the Caetha, the ultimate law of the stars. My father took pity on me and gave me a second chance. Once I find my center, I can return home." The look of betrayal in Jack's eyes broke my heart. I didn't want to leave, but I had to return home to fulfill my duties.

"What do you mean, return home? I-I thought you were here for good, I thought-" Jack stopped when North raised a great hand, his adam's apple bobbing and his eyes watery, the look of betrayal still evident in them.

"Moonchild, come. We must talk about what to do. Must make plan, if Pitch wants you, is not safe anywhere except here." It seemed that North had gotten over his anger quickly, but I knew Jack would not be so quick to forgive. I stand, following the mountainous Russian around curves and corners in a seemingly never ending hallway of red wallpaper and wooden floors. After a while, the silence became too much for me to handle.

"Why do you call me Moonchild?" I crane my neck up to look at the massive man.

"Is what you are. You are child of Moon, da?" The way he said it, it seemed so simple. I couldn't help but think of the matching tattoos on his forearms: naughty and nice. This man chose to see the world in black and white, calling it the way it is. The wonder and natural curiosity that seemed to radiate from him was what I thought of as the grey space that he didn't see in the world. Maybe someone who has such a powerful imagination needs some sort of order in their life.

"Yes..." I trailed off, losing the desire to speak. My brain was already at full capacity and I didn't know if I could take much more of it.

"Moonchild, it is up to you."

"What is up to me?" I look up at the jolly Russian.

"If you stay or go. If you find center, you may stay. As Guardian!" North sounded so sure, and I couldn't help but think of how he must see things. If only everything could be as simple as he thinks.

"Perhaps, North," I said, my mind wandering. "Perhaps."

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><p><strong>I swear I got writer's block halfway through this chapter and almost updated with a story that was 964 words... That, my dear friends, is a pathetic chapter.<strong>

**As always, my thanks and love goes out to CrystalQueen and DarkAzalea for their reviews and support!**

**I love you all, thank you so much for reading and if you like it, feel free to leave a review! :)**


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